The Lakers defeated the Hawks 119-102 and have now climbed to fourth place in the Western Conference. LeBron James scored over 30 points more times than Michael Jordan, making him the first in history. In the game, he played for 30 minutes, made 13 out of 20 shots, including 2 out of 5 three-pointers, scoring 30 points, 3 rebounds, and 8 assists. After the game, James finally regained his confidence, saying that he still has fuel in the tank and will continue playing without mentioning retirement again. Interestingly, at the beginning of this year when the Lakers were facing difficulties, James had talked about retiring.
At that time, James was extremely exhausted because he felt responsible for his words. He had put himself in a difficult situation by saying that he would play all 82 regular-season games, including back-to-back matches. As a result of this statement, even when tired, James felt embarrassed to take a break. Eventually, he became cautious and was later criticized by J.J. Redick. In an interview, Redick directly stated that it wasn't good news for the Lakers if James played all 82 games.
Redick also believed that an exhausted James could not help his teammates on the court. Ultimately, James was forced to rest by the Lakers, and after one game where Davis led the team to victory, James was still somewhat dissatisfied, saying that he wanted to play but the Lakers did not allow it. Looking back now, Redick's criticism seems to have been effective. Since Christmas, after resting, James' physical energy has recovered, averaging 30.5 points and 8.3 assists with a shooting percentage of 58%, a three-point shooting percentage of 56%, and a free-throw percentage of 91%. This is already above the level of the 180 Club.
After the game, Davis said that he was not surprised by James reaching a milestone. What surprised him was James' vitality over the past period. Redick's meaning was clear; he said that James had been exceptionally hardworking on defense recently and had abundant energy. Redick reiterated the importance of defense. He said that while the Lakers winning was nothing special, he was not satisfied with the team's defense in the first half. The Hawks scored 20 points against the Lakers through fast breaks in the first half.
It was not until the second half that the Lakers began to focus on defense and successfully plugged the gap. With James as the core ball-handler, slowing down to play positional warfare, and then fully committing to defense, this is where the Lakers' advantage lies. Moreover, with the recent rise of Reeves, James' organizational pressure has significantly decreased. Currently, in terms of average ball touches per game, Reeves has surpassed James to become the top in the Lakers. This means that the primary ball-handler has changed from James to Reeves.
In terms of ball possession ratio, Reeves has surpassed Davis and is second only to James in the Lakers. Reeves uses 27.4% per 100 possessions, while James uses 29.8%, higher than Davis' 27.1%. After becoming the Lakers' primary ball-handler in the last four games, Reeves delivered an assist rate of 40.5%, slightly lower than James' 43.9%. This is significant data for the Lakers, indicating that they are no longer a one-man team centered around James; they cannot be defeated simply by limiting James. James has handed over his authority, distributing it to Davis and Reeves.
James has retreated to the background, transforming himself into a utility player. The current James can no longer continue to shoulder everything; he hopes to become a focal point for the Lakers' offense and fully improve his defense. This is actually the job the team asked him to do when he first joined the Lakers, but it was not achieved. Now, James is becoming the second point in the chain under Reeves. James' act of sharing resources not only makes himself more relaxed but also benefits Reeves, who has grown from an undrafted player to a core member. If James retires, Reeves will become another James beside Davis, achieving a seamless connection. The Lakers have already started planning for the future.